Los Angeles Clippers Will Not Retain Vinny Del Negro As Head Coach

On Tuesday afternoon, the Los Angeles Clippers announced some not-so-surprising news, making the decision not to retain head coach Vinny Del Negro past this season.

Del Negro’s contract is set to expire, so his services as the head man in Los Angeles will come to a close.

The news was first reported by Yahoo! SportsAdrian Wojnarowski, who wanted to clarify that Del Negro had not been fired from his position, but instead the Clippers were simply not bringing him back next year:

I should clarify: Del Negro wasn’t fired as coach. He was informed that he won’t be offered a new contract to return. His deal has expired.

Del Negro had spent the past three seasons in Los Angeles, taking over prior to the start of the 2010-11 season. In that time frame, the Clippers made two playoff appearances, but an early exit just a few weeks ago may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back for Del Negro. Los Angeles had one of their better seasons in franchise history this past year, but they were upset by the Memphis Grizzlies — who have since advanced to the Western Conference Finals.

Del Negro spent two seasons as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls prior to coming to Los Angeles, but he was not the most popular man in the Windy City. The rumors surrounding his future with the Clippers had long been speculated over the recent weeks and months and now Los Angeles is ready to move forward.